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How to set up a wired only connection from my laptop to KEF LSX?

_curt_k

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Sorry, I think this might be a super simple question, but I'm wanting to play music from my computer (like the Windows Tidal application) to play on my KEF LSX's.

I'm thinking a device that did USB to toslink and into the optical in on the LSX's would do the trick. The devices I've found so far all have their own DAC's. Of course, I don't want a DAC in the device, I want to just pass the data from the computer to the LSX's and its DAC's.

Any ideas on such a device?

And any other considerations, like Windows sound drivers? From what little I know, it looks like the Windows WASAPI driver should be good. I'd implement that just by granting "exclusive use," in the sound control panel right?

Thanks for any help!
 

Zek

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Does your computer have spdif output (optical or coaxial)? If there is, you can connect it directly to the speakers with a suitable cable.
 

doctorjuggles

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Some laptops have toslink built into the 3.5mm headphone out jack. Your manual would make it clear if this is the case - worth checking on the off chance yours has this functionality
 

Katji

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Similar to the problem I had when I was looking at Edifier speakers. Laptop, no S/PDIF, only USB and headphone/AUX out. Most Edifier speakers have Toslink/coaxial digital input, only very few have USB. I looked at what is available for USB to Toslink conversion...was not happy with what I saw, quickly narrowed it down to choice between the few that do have USB input. ("Keep it simple", less cables/converters/gadgets.)
 
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_curt_k

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Thanks, but no, laptop doesn't seem to have built in optical/toslink out....

It's weird to me that such a device seems kinda obscure, it's just a digital to digital conversation, right, USB to toslink?
 

Katji

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afaik, They have to do re-clocking.
Yes, does seem sort of obscure. Some are quite cheap, some are quite expensive. Relatively expensive. Some of the expensive ones had other functionality - streaming-related stuff - that is no use to me. ...I saw it like that because that what Amazon and a similar local place does when you search.
Someone who understands it technically can explain better, maybe suggest specific product/s. You already have the LSX, so that is what you need.
I'm a bit surprised that LSX does not handle USB input. Edifier, after reading some product pages, I saw why - it is for people wanting to use PlayStation/Xbox.
 
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_curt_k

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Whoa, this looks like the way to go! Thanks so much. Again, I'm surprised these aren't more common, but don't ask me for marketing advice!...
 

Katji

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:) It started with me looking at Edifier Luna Eclipse, because someone on local avforums selling almost new set for a very low price. (The version/package with the subwoofer.) I'd always thought they were sort of ugly, that shape, but then suddenly I liked them, the red ones with the matching/integrated stands. And I wanted to try something like that. Then I realised, no USB input. So I looked at all the other Edifiers and ended up getting the S3000PRO. Sort of like "the poor man's LS50W." So I still have the 5m USB cable, and there are the 2 power cables. The Yamaha amp and SMSL DAC are in the cupboard.
 
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_curt_k

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Thanks, everybody. By the way, I see that kef ksx's are on sale at best buy for $800.

I'm psyched to try controlling mine by my laptop, phone's general ergonomics don't work great for me (except out of the house!).
 

jeffbook

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A topping D10/D10s would do the job with maximum quality.

cheers
Absolutely correct. I also use a powered TOSlink splitter to split the signal into two TOSlink cables, one for each channel.
 
Last edited:
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_curt_k

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Great, and then for the software side, would peeps think the native Windows WASAPI sound drivers are good, like bit perfect? And to use that driver, I think I just need to enable exclusive mode in the Sound control panel, right? I could do ASIO if there are advantages to sound quality (I'm not too worried about latency), but I'd prefer to keep it simple and native.
 

jeffbook

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I use Foobar2000 as a music player from my laptop and I use a Topping ASIO driver to drive the DAC from my Windows 10 laptop. Foobar can convert DSD output to PCM with the right plug-ins as TOSlink can only handle PCM signal as far as I know.
 

Katji

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You typically/generally get the XMOS USB driver from the DAC manufacturer (or Edifier or KEF or whatever), they vary in how much customisation they do. You install that device driver, with the device connected and powered on, then it shows up in Control Panel | Devices and Printers ...with a suitable name. (Device driver package comes with a .inf file that provides the PID and VID. Product ID and Vendor ID.)

1606142138814.png


(Two with the same name because I'd already done Bluetooth pairing.)


1606142423979.png


Set the KEF LSX XMOS/whatever USB device as Default Device.
Turn down the KEF LSX volume and set Windows volume to 100 /max. Control volume with KEF LSX remote.
The Exclusive Mode switches will be set on by default.
If the device is not present, you get the usual thing with the Windows Volume Mixer.
Connect the device, Windows switches to the default device, it "remembers" the volume at 100%.

1606142944496.png


Sliders do still work independently. And the audio player volume control. Apparently the Windows Volume Mixer is still involved.
The first time, after installing the driver without the device being present, then a full cycle of starting laptop with all present, shutdown, start again, the Windows Volume Mixer was disabled, only the Edifier remote worked...and it controlled the audio player volume and next/previous buttons.

(That's all Win 8.1, but still.) (If I can confirm that the Win 10 volume mixer is 32-bit and it's significantly improved, I'll might think seriously about...uhh upgrading.)
 
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_curt_k

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You typically/generally get the XMOS USB driver from the DAC manufacturer (or Edifier or KEF or whatever), they vary in how much customisation they do. You install that device driver, with the device connected and powered on, then it shows up in Control Panel | Devices and Printers ...with a suitable name. (Device driver package comes with a .inf file that provides the PID and VID. Product ID and Vendor ID.)

View attachment 95273

(Two with the same name because I'd already done Bluetooth pairing.)


View attachment 95274

Set the KEF LSX XMOS/whatever USB device as Default Device.
Turn down the KEF LSX volume and set Windows volume to 100 /max. Control volume with KEF LSX remote.
The Exclusive Mode switches will be set on by default.
If the device is not present, you get the usual thing with the Windows Volume Mixer.
Connect the device, Windows switches to the default device, it "remembers" the volume at 100%.

View attachment 95275

Sliders do still work independently. And the audio player volume control. Apparently the Windows Volume Mixer is still involved.
The first time, after installing the driver without the device being present, then a full cycle of starting laptop with all present, shutdown, start again, the Windows Volume Mixer was disabled, only the Edifier remote worked...and it controlled the audio player volume and next/previous buttons.

(That's all Win 8.1, but still.) (If I can confirm that the Win 10 volume mixer is 32-bit and it's significantly improved, I'll might think seriously about...uhh upgrading.)

Whoa! Thanks very much, looks good!
 

MTVhike

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Doesn't your computer have an HDMI port? Most now do, I think. On my 2-year old HP, the external monitor port is HDMI and it works fine as an audio port.
 
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_curt_k

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Good idea. The LSX's don't have HDMI in, but I could see this opening up some other possibilities, like HDMI converted to toslink, maybe....
 
OP
C

_curt_k

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2020
Messages
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You typically/generally get the XMOS USB driver from the DAC manufacturer (or Edifier or KEF or whatever), they vary in how much customisation they do. You install that device driver, with the device connected and powered on, then it shows up in Control Panel | Devices and Printers ...with a suitable name. (Device driver package comes with a .inf file that provides the PID and VID. Product ID and Vendor ID.)

View attachment 95273

(Two with the same name because I'd already done Bluetooth pairing.)


View attachment 95274

Set the KEF LSX XMOS/whatever USB device as Default Device.
Turn down the KEF LSX volume and set Windows volume to 100 /max. Control volume with KEF LSX remote.
The Exclusive Mode switches will be set on by default.
If the device is not present, you get the usual thing with the Windows Volume Mixer.
Connect the device, Windows switches to the default device, it "remembers" the volume at 100%.

View attachment 95275

Sliders do still work independently. And the audio player volume control. Apparently the Windows Volume Mixer is still involved.
The first time, after installing the driver without the device being present, then a full cycle of starting laptop with all present, shutdown, start again, the Windows Volume Mixer was disabled, only the Edifier remote worked...and it controlled the audio player volume and next/previous buttons.

(That's all Win 8.1, but still.) (If I can confirm that the Win 10 volume mixer is 32-bit and it's significantly improved, I'll might think seriously about...uhh upgrading.)



Thanks, everyone! I got all this setup. Quick take: SWEET SOUND, decent ergonomics, amazing value (sale KEF LSX's + Topping D10s).

One point if someone else goes down this road -- in the Topping control panel, I had to switch it to output 24bit (32 was default). Windows wouldn't playback with any of the resolution options I tried otherwise. I settled on Windows sound at 24/96. Others might work, but I don't think I can tell the difference between between better than 16/44.1.

This setup -- controlling the LSX's via my laptop, gets over some of the worst problems of the LSX UI/ergonomics, which are a bunch! Their app was pretty horrible, dropped connections a lot, the queue would pause randomly. (Rock solid via my laptop so far.) I hate phone UI's in general. The desktop Tidal/Amazon Music UI's are much better for me. I can now use Amazon Music (KEF's phone app doesn't support that), which I prefer. I don't like MQA remasters, they seem to me to just add some little reverb/weird spatial processing to make it sound like a deeper soundstage, but they muddy it up in the process (plus I think their business model is skeevy/unethical). I wish KEF had just put a USB/HDMI input in natively, but the Topping D10s is a good workaround.

One pretty unrelated point that might save someone else some headache -- doing cable mode on the LSX's needs the ethernet cable plugged into the proper ethernet jack on the primary speaker (of course!), but they are labeled (as are all the other labeling) so tiny as to be nearly impossible to read. Again, KEF didn't do a great job on a lot of the user experience front!

But they sound SO GOOD, so I'm all set. One win for their ergonomics -- the threaded stand input on their bottoms. I got some camera stands and screwed them into a crappy World Market coffee table we had laying around, so now I've got stands and I'm fairly comfortable that the dogs/cat/kids won't knock the speakers over.... I can now sit here and write on my laptop and control my music right on the same device, including controlling the volume. I still need to power on the LSX's via their remote or the phone app, one last fail on KEF's part for not having a power button on the speakers. I can't see a way to work around that. But I'll just get to some writing and listening now and happily forget about all this technical stuff!

Thanks again for everyone's help, you all really saved this for me.
 
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